The Boy At The Docks

4)Private school and disappearing

Awaking to the sound of my steel alarm clock ringing loudly into my ears, I swung my legs out of bed, as a long stretch followed; quickly glancing to see it read "7:00am 11/6/19". My daily routine happened as always, I walked into the bathroom to quickly touch up my fluffy hair and brushed my teeth. This time I treaded lightly going down the stairs and looked around the kitchen, expecting to see my mother sat buttering another croissant, I was shocked when I saw my beloved sister, Evelyn, sat alone reading the newspaper.

"Jesus Evelyn, when did you get here?" my legs taking myself over to her side and placing herself into my arms. "Early this morning- Gosh lighten your grip mister!" her voice came out squeaky as she pushed herself away from me.

"Sorry, just excited to see you after four months away in London," I etherised the four-month part to make her feel guilty about the fact she just disappeared one morning with only a letter to explain she left for London in the hopes of pushing women's rights. I, of course, think that women should have equal rights as us men but it was the fact she had never once brought up her thoughts of going to London to protest to mother or father; in the end I had to explain that she had been talking to me about it but it too was in shook she left at the moment she did. Mother and father or course have the same opinion as I do so they had no complaints for why she went but the notion of leaving so suddenly concerned them.

"Well you could have paid me a visit, I did write you a letter mentioning where I was," she said taking a seat again. Evelyn is in her thriving 20s now and she looks probably the best I've ever seen her: shoulder length brunet hair, perfect facial features and is wearing a white dress that has somewhat of a turtle neck design to it. "Mother and father would have wanted to come and I know that wouldn't have been the best for you," I said looking at her and then quickly to the clock above her head- 7:30am.

"Evelyn, I have to go but I'll talk to you at dinner tonight, good luck with talking to mother and father," I spoke quickly as I grabbed my satchel and departing from the house to make it for the bus. Just in time, I arrived at the bus stop to see that Nico was looking at his watch and looking at his surroundings trying to locate where his tardy friend was. "For God sake Charlie, can't you ever be on time for anything?" he protested as we boarded the bus together and placed ourselves on the row of seats in front of Kyle and Rodger.

Most of the day had passed by with no worries at all, all my new classes for next year sounded pretty laid back which was a good sign since that was my last year. Me and the boys sat down at our regular table in the dining hall, chit chatting about this and that but then I looked up from my plate and saw a blonde male walk past our table quickly and I suddenly got memories of last night flash back into my sight. It must have been obvious that I was dazing because Rodger noticed and nudged my side to get me to focus. Snapping out of my gaze, I realised the blonde male who had passed was just a fellow pupil of mine, named Peter Gale.

Before I knew it, the bell had rung and I was already walking outside with Kyle, Rodger and Nico. "Hey, lets go to the docks, I need a cig so bad right now," Kyle moaned so we all decided to go along with it. Like always, we sat on the wall, taking long drags of smoke and blowing them into Rodger's face to do his head in since he's so against smoking.

"I hope you all die of cancer," he mumbled as he leaned his chin against the palm of his hand. I had my knees curled up next to my stomach as I leaned on the side of a building, facing the boys side ways on, and playing with my cigarette between my finger as if it was pencil. But the sudden sound of the bell chiming from the mills sounded and all our attentions where locked onto the people exiting the buildings for the end of the day. All to familiarly, I recognised the wavy blonde-haired male from the moment he took a step outside and I think he recognised me just the same. My gaze was quickly averted back to the cigarette I was still playing with but when I took a glance up to see where he was, he was nowhere to be found. This brought some distress to me so I decided to look around the courtyard and I couldn't see anyone who fitted his description.

Jumping off the wall quickly, I looked up at the boys and spoke as quick as possible "I need to get home really quick; I'll see you all tomorrow!" Before they could let a word escape their lips, I was off down the street, looking down every alley, praying I wouldn't run into him.